Device for raising and supporting covers



F.. A. SPENCER.

DEVICE FOR RAISING AND. SUPPORTING COVERS.

APPLICATION FILED 050.27, I921.

I 1,420,347. PatentedJune20,1922.

entree stares FRANK A. SPENCER, OF WEST ORANGE, NEVI JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR RAISING" AND SUPPORTING. COVERS Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented J one 20, 1922.

Application filed December 27, 1921-. Serial No. 525,122.

To all 107mm it may concem:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. SPENCER, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of West Orange, county of Essex, and State of New-Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Raisingand Supporting Covers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved device for lifting and supportingin lifted position a cover on receptacles, and is particularly adaptedfor the covers of phonographs.

The invention is designed to provide ade vice of this kind in which thecover, when released in its closed position, will be raised withoutshock, the lifting mechanism being so arranged that the initial movementof the cover, which is the hardest to perform, gives way to a lesspressure as the coverrises, so that it stops gently and withoutshock.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a sec tion of a portion of a phonograph case with theraising and supporting device shown in elevation, and Figure 2 is asectional view showing a means for holding the cover down.

In the drawing 10 indicates the frame of the receptacle, such as aphonograph case, and 11 is the lid which is hinged,...as at 12, so thatit is raised toward the vertical when the casing 10 is opened. Suitablemeans, such as a rod 13, is fastened to the cover and preferablyprojects down inside the casing so that its inner end is out of sight,and in the form shown the rod 18 is held in alignment by a suitableguide 14:.

There are two springs used in the device,

. one of the springs, which is the more aclive in supporting the coverand which I will call the supporting spring, being sup plemented by theinitial movement of the cover by a spring I will call, for the purposeof identification, the raising spring.

One mechanism for permitting such springs to function is shown in thedrawing,

in which the lever 15 is pivoted intermediate 7 of its ends, as at 16,so that it has a rocking motion. To one end of the lever is secured thesupporting spring 17, which is fastened at one end to one end of thelever, and at the other end is fastened to a fixed element, such as thestud 18 on the plate 19 which is secured to the side of the casing.

The raising spring 20 is secured at one end to the end of the rod 13,and at the other end is secured to the end of the lever that is oppositethe end'to whichthe spring 17 is secured.

A suitable stop, s'uch as the plate 21 which has a shoulder 22 in thepath of movement of the lever 15, acts to limit the movement of thelever in one direction. To bring about the best results I find that thespring 20 should be made considerably shorter than the spring 17. x f wThe lid is normally held down by a suitable catch, and in Figure 2 Ishowone form of catch which includes the tooth 23"fastened to the lid, and aspring-actuated latch 24 which can be released by pushing in on the pushbutton 25. lVhen the lid is swung down to its closed position and isheld by the catch, any desired form of catch, of course, being adaptedfor this purpose, the form shown in Figure 2 being simply illustratedfor the purpose of showing one form of catch, the raising device is putunder a ten- SlOIl.

To bring about this tension on the spring it will be evident that as therod 13 is pushed down by the lid it swings the lever 15 so that thespring 17 is stretched, but only a slight degree of tension is placed onthe spring 20 until the lever 15 engages the stop 22. This halts theextension of the spring 17 and stops one end of the spring 20, that is,the end that is attached The further movement of the lid causes anincreaseed tension on the spring 20, and in the case of a heavy lid astrong tension is applied to the spring 20 until the lid is down to itsclosed position. The spring 20, being shorter, is stiffer than thespring17, assuming that they'are the same gage spring.

Vhen the lid is to be opened, the catch is released, and while bothsprings at once become active in raising the lid, the spring 20, due toits being stretched more than the spring 17, since the lever 15 abuts onthe stop 22,.pulls on the rod 13 and starts the lid upward. As thespring 20 loses its strength, due to its being shortened, it acts Themovement of the lid is thus merged from a fairly vigorous start to agentle stop as the spring 17 assumes its normal supporting position.

This connection between the spring 17 and the rod 13, which includes thespring 20, is easily assembled and economically made, and issubstantially noiseless.

I claim s V 1. A device for raising and supporting a cover comprisingarod adapted to be attached to a cover, a spring for supporting thecover when raised, a connection between the spring and the rod, saidconnection including a second spring for initiating the raising of thecover, and a stop for limiting the movement of the connection so thatthe second spring is under increased tension when the cover is down.

2 A device for raising and supporting a cover comprising a-rod attachedto a cover, and a raising and supporting means including two springs,one of said springs being stronger than the other and disposed so as tobe under increased tension only when the cover is down.

3. A device for raising and supporting a cover comprising a rod attachedto a cover, a pivoted lever, a spring connecting one end of the lever toa fixed element a second spring connecting the other end of the lever totherod, and means for limitingthe movement of the lever in onedirection.

4. A device for raising and supporting a cover comprising a;rod attachedto a cover, a pivoted lever, a spring connecting one end of the lever toa fixed element, a second spring connecting the other end of the leverto the rod, means for limiting the movement of the lever in onedirection,- said second spring being under a'tension in excess of itssupporting position when the lever is so limited. t

5. A device for raising and supporting a cover comprising a supportingspring, a second spring for initiating the upward movement of a cover, aconnection between said second spring and the cover, and means forstopping that end of the second spring which is not attached to thecover.

6. A device forraising and supporting a cover comprising a rod adaptedfor attachment to a cover, a lever swinging interme, diate its ends, asupporting spring secured to one end of the lever and to a fixedelement, a raising spring secured to the other end 01. the lever and tothe rod, and a stop for the lever so that the raising'spring is under atension in excess of that of the supporting spring when the cover isdown.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing,

I have hereto set my hand, this 24th day of December, 1921.

' F. A. SPENCER.

